Traditional magazines for Kalashnikov type firearms are designed to stop a cartridge follower at a designated point within the magazine allowing the firearm bolt to close after the last cartridge is fired from the magazine. Although magazines for Kalashnikov type rifles have been made with cartridge followers designed to hold a rifle bolt open after the last cartridge is fired from the magazine, a need still exists to retrofit various traditional magazines with a universal cartridge follower capable of stopping or catching the rifle bolt thereby holding the rifle bolt in an open position when the magazine is emptied of the last cartridge.